Cooking is not for making friends, it is for competing. The production company NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan inaugurated an official website on Monday to announce the anime adaptation of the manga Tetsunabe no Jan (Iron Wok Jan!), an original work by Shinji Saijyo. The project revealed its main staff, a commemorative illustration and a "super teaser video", confirming its premiere for 2026.
To the surprise of many, the project has a creative team known for intense action works, which promises to take culinary battles to another level:
- Director: Ei Aoki (Fate/Zero, Aldnoah.Zero, Re:Creators).
- Series Composition: Makoto Uezu (Assassination Classroom, KonoSuba).
- Animation studio: TROYCA.
Synopsis: Cooking is competition
The story follows Jan Akiyama, an arrogant and conceited teenager who seeks to fulfill his grandfather's wish to defeat his archenemy, Mutsuju Gobancho. Upon arriving at the Gobancho restaurant, Jan meets Kiriko Gobancho, the granddaughter of his rival. Their rivalry mirrors that of his grandparents with two opposing philosophies: while Jan believes that "cooking is competition", Kiriko maintains that "cooking is heart".
Legacy of the manga
The original gourmet comedy manga was published in Shonen Champion magazine between 1995 and 2000, being collected in 27 volumes. The work inspired sequels such as Tetsunabe no Jan! A: Chojo Sakusen and the mahjong-focused spin-off Tetsuhai no Jan!
